Guard to the Crown

Krystal

I jolted awake, gasping for breath, surfacing from the depths of a dark, endless void. My room, once a familiar comfort, felt strangely alien in the pitch-black night. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if my eyes were open or shut—everything was so dark, so still.

The house was silent, save for the soft hum of the night.

Then, slowly, my vision adjusted, and I could make out the faint outline of the clock on my bedside table: 3:18 AM. The time burned into my mind as if it carried a weight beyond its digits. It took a second for me to remember why it felt so significant, but when I did, my heart skipped a beat.

Today was my birthday. I had turned sixteen.

A strange sensation washed over me, like an electric current buzzing just beneath my skin. The room seemed to dim, shadows pooling in the corners as my heart raced. Then, slowly, I began to glow. It started faintly, like a soft light behind my eyes, but it quickly spread, illuminating my entire body.

I tried to suppress a gasp, remembering my adoptive parents, Sam and Olive, asleep just down the hall. They wouldn’t understand, couldn’t possibly understand, I didn't wanted them to know, what was happening to me. Not yet. But I knew—deep down, I had always known—that this day would come. The day my true nature would reveal itself.

The magic coursed through me, and with it, came the pain. It wasn’t sharp, but a deep, throbbing ache, like my very bones were being reshaped. I clenched my teeth, gripping the bed sheets as I fought to stay silent. The light around me grew brighter, and for a moment, I feared it would burst from me, waking the entire household.

But then, just as suddenly as it began, the pain ebbed. I lay there, panting softly, my body still aglow but the intensity fading. I felt different—stronger, more aware of everything around me. The hum of energy within me was undeniable now.

I carefully slipped out of bed, my feet touching the cool wooden floor, and moved toward the window. The night outside seemed more alive, the stars twinkling with a brilliance I had never noticed before. I held up my hand and watched in awe as a small spark of light danced on my fingertips. I had turned sixteen, and the magic I had always sensed within me was finally awake.

I knew I’d have to learn how to control it, to harness this power that was now part of me. But for now, I just stood there, bathed in the quiet glow of my new reality, wondering what my future would hold.

I wanted peace, away from bloodshed.

And slowly, slowly I turned to the mirror and looked at myself, moonlight illuminating my features. I was beautiful. Even in the Mythos, I knew I was beautiful.

Nonetheless, the sight took my breath away. My skin, pale and luminous like silver under moonlight, glowed softly. My eyes, large and almond-shaped, shifted between deep emerald and sapphire, filled with ancient secrets. Long, dark hair flowed down my back in shimmering waves, like they had their own life. My lips, naturally tinted a soft rose, were parted. I was a living embodiment of the fae's magic, both graceful and powerful, a creature of timeless beauty.

I then brought out The Powder, as I have named it, from a drawer and ate a pinchful. My features returned to normal, and I looked human again. The Powder has helped me a lot in these past  three years. I found that heating dried petals of Peace Lily in flames of Golden Photos, have a effect on the petals. When consumed, it can conceal my fae characterstics, making me look human.

Then I went to sleep, knowing very well that this have to be my last night here.

.

I spent the whole day with those I loved.
Olive and Sam and Farrah and Noah. I even told Farrah and Noah the story of a  princess, a princess who was born in a land called Mythos, hidden by magic as ancient as Earth itself, and was dragged into politics of Farae where only one would be ruler. The story of how she saw her own brothers and sisters killing each other, how she beared it all until her own mother died and she decided to escape, how she went to a small orphanage disguised as a human and was adopted and how she still lives there. Farrah, at end, even asked me what was the name of this princess and I replied calmly that she is me. Truth. They both took it as a joke and smiled.

The night came sooner than I had wished, hoped. I was ready with my bag full of human clothes, money, things that I think might be useful and books, books I brought from Farae. I had left a letter for Sam and Olive explaining that I loved them and how grateful I was to have them but I had to go and I will miss them. I was all ready by midnight.

I slipped quietly out of my window, the cool night air brushing against my skin as I descended onto the dark, empty street below. Each step carrying me further from  my home and deeper into the shadows.

The streets were eerily silent, the only sound the soft padding of my feet against the cobblestones. But as I moved further into the darkness, a faint crackling noise broke the stillness. I froze, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. Slowly, I turned around.

Standing there, just beyond the edge of the nearest streetlamp's light, was a figure cloaked in shadow. As he stepped forward, the dim glow revealed his unmistakable features—sharp, regal, and undeniably fae. His eyes, piercing and filled with a knowing gleam, met mine.

"Happy birthday, Princess," he said, his voice smooth but laced with authority. "It's time to go home."

.

I awoke in the familiar room of the castle, sunlight filtering through the grand windows. My heart sank as I took in the scene—my family was here, gathered around, their faces a mix of relief and sorrow.

The realization hit me like a cold wave: I had returned to the very place I had tried so hard to escape. I sat up, feeling the weight of my situation.

Despite all of the dread I noticed that in the doorway stood a handsome male figure, his expression unreadable as he watched me with calm detachment. His presence only deepened the sense of entrapment. I was back, and my freedom felt farther away than ever.